Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1887-04-22
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF uNsRcu-
puLoUS POLITICIANS.

There is one popularity about
the politician--he always moves be-
fore he starts--that is, he moves his
location before he starts in poll
tics. The politician starts young
for if he puts off starting till he is
old he never amounts to anything
and turns out like the mail service
un6er a democratic administra-.
tion. With grip in hand he leaves
the parental roof and starts west.
He drops into the country town,
where the natives are attracted by
the tip of his hat, and neatly pol
ished boots, and awed by his POM
pous air. As soon as he has ar
ranged for board and lodging he
hun is up the prominent and intiu-
ential men of his party and pro-
ceeds to ingratiate himself into
their good favor. The result is
that, in very short time, he has
the reputation of being decidedly
clever and young man of much
push and promise. His next step
is to join the strongest benevolent
institution in the place, and again
the influential friends, whom he
sought out on his arrival, serve
him a good turn in the way of re-
commencing him and signing his
petition. Sometimes the young
politician goes SO far as to join
Church. he writes to the old
folks that he is getting on
swimingly, and that he will soon
come out for Office. He does run
for Office and his majority, due to
the influence of those friends who
have been brought up in the coun-
ty from bo:hood and against
whose character no word of re-
proach has ever been spoken, is
surprisingly large. His much sue
cess makes him mad and he imag.
ines that it is all due to his OWL
shrewdness, and worth. The vast
possibilities of the future ope1
before him. He begins to coDsult
and intrigue with prominent mel
of the opposite party, for does he
not want to strengthen his posi-
ton by controlling the fedora
patronage? Again he runs fol
Office, but this time his majority
is greatly reduced, and he con
cludes that there is something
wrong. He now goes deeper into
Intrigue, and con bination ;uses the
influence of his office to further
his political preferment. He be
comes careless about the old poll
teal friends of his own party and
when some of them are laid u1
for months by an attack of rheu
matism, they are entirely ignored
Again he enters the field for an
other race, but he finds that hi:
old friends have lost confidence
and are in the field against him
And Notwithstanding the rheuma
tic attack, the sturdy blows they
strike bring terror to his soul. HI
calls upon these old friends whe
now so bitterly oppose him, anc
asks the reason for their opposi
ton. He IS informed that hi,
course will ruin the party and tha
he must desisto or they cannot sup
port him. But he has gone too
far to turn back and there is moth
ing left for him to do but cut loose
from all parties and run as an in
dependent. The campaign wake.
warm, whisky flows like water anC
money flies like sand in the Kans
as hills. Barter and trade, bu,
and sell. anything to save the day
When the last vote is cast and the
politician hastily glances over the
campaign, the result of which is ye
uncertain, his indignation knows
no bounds and in burst of pas
sion he declares that the men who
opposed him are rascals; that ht
would not trust them for a 'nickle'
and that they ought to be in
the penitentiary, and other re.
marks of like nature. These re.
marks are surprise to everyone
and the friends of the slanderec